I shine on the dark side,
Where time fleets and shadows collide.
I am the underbrush.
I am the peace you need so much.

—Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters, “Good Morning, Sunshine”
 

West Coast-based, Americana rock n roll band, Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters are set to release their new album Good Morning, Sunshine on April 4th, 2025, and take their collection of new songs on the road. Recently signed to LA-based, Blackbird Record Label, the all-female band aims for joy and connection with music fans via their energized live show and ability to “shred as well as the boys do.” But technical musical skills aside, there are compelling layers throughout Flynn’s seasoned songwriting that shed light on the human corners of darkness and in turn, uplift listeners in the same way her favorite artists have done for her. Some of those heroes Flynn has had the opportunity to share the stage with, such as Willie Nelson, Todd Snider, The Wood Brothers, Hayes Carll, Amy Ray, and Nanci Griffith. Flynn grew up primarily around the South in Kentucky and Virginia, cutting her musical teeth on bluegrass music but was also turned onto to Motown and rock n roll. She also recalls some of the first songs she ever learned to play being Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” or Fleetwood Mac’s “I Don’t Want to Know.” Good Morning, Sunshine showcases all those influences by blurring genre lines from classic country to rock n roll. Nancy Luca’s (electric guitarist, producer) opening riff for “Drunk in Ojai,” a lighthearted take on a bad night, sets the stage for an album full of songs that make you wanna get up and move. And with tracks like “Love is an Ember” and “Much too Proud” Flynn highlights her sensitivity to melody and lyrics.

Luca and Flynn started the Riveters in 2017, drawn to collaborate not only because of mutual musical admiration but they were also looking to elevate women in the music industry by putting together a circle of female players, producer, and engineer. Taught early on by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) Luca’s musical diversity fit with Flynn’s sense for timeless melodies resulting in an album for fans of Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, The Band and The Grateful Dead. “Nancy and I started the Riveters together in 2017, largely because I delight in her guitar playing! Having her in the producer seat was a no-brainer! She approached the task with joy and summoned her musical ancestors who quite literally include Tom Petty and Bo Diddley! Collaborating with her is a lot fun!” says Flynn. The Riveters have grown over the years, with Nancy Luca on guitar and Carmen Paradise on bass as the longest standing members, and now include well over a dozen musicians in the Portland and LA areas. As Flynn says “The Riveters would not BE without these exceptional artists…I feel grateful and honored to ‘assemble songs’ with them.”

The Riveters featured on the album include Ashleigh Flynn (lead vocal, acoustic guitar), Nancy Luca (electric guitar), and a revolving group of mostly female-identified players including Carmen Paradise (bass), Leila Chieko (drums), Jenny Conlee (piano & organ), Kathryn Claire (violin, harmony vocals), Kat Fountain (vocals and harmonica) and more.

While Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters are focused on the one thing they love most, playing live shows, they also use their music as a vehicle for hope and awareness when it comes to challenges that women, LGBQT+ and marginalized people and nature face within a highly divisive social and political climate. And they deliver that message with positive vibes by inviting listeners to let go of fear, have a little fun, and let love simply be love. “We summon our courage to bring joy,” says Flynn.

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—WRITTEN BY SALLY JAYE SMITHWICK, NASHVILLE 2024